Turkish New Year Gifts: 9 Ideas with a Wish in Turkish
Nine New Year gift ideas built around three short Turkish lines, with four wishes to write in the card.
In many Turkish families a New Year gift comes with a few warm words. The card, the wish and the cup of tea that goes with it matter as much as the item itself. This guide shares nine gift ideas for the holidays, each one built around a short Turkish line you can read, say out loud and write in a card. They come from three Roots & Talks designs: Yeni yılınız kutlu olsun, Üç, iki, bir… Mutlu yıllar! and Dışarıda kar, içeride çay.
Three lines to know first
Yeni yılınız kutlu olsun. It means "may your new year be a happy one". The ending -ınız is the polite or plural "your", so the line suits elders, neighbours, a whole family or a table full of friends. Our Yeni Yılınız Kutlu Olsun collection puts it in bold letters with three snowflakes and a gold underline. Under it, the design adds Bol muhabbetli bir yıl!, which means "a year full of good conversation!".
Üç, iki, bir… Mutlu yıllar! It means "three, two, one… happy new year!", the countdown at midnight on New Year's Eve. Mutlu yıllar literally means "happy years", and many people also say it on birthdays. That makes the Üç, İki, Bir, Mutlu Yıllar collection a good pick for a person whose birthday falls close to the new year.
Dışarıda kar, içeride çay. It means "snow outside, tea inside". It is not a greeting. It is the picture of a cosy winter evening at home, and the Dışarıda Kar, İçeride Çay collection shows it with a glass of Turkish tea and a few snowflakes.
For the tea table
1. A mug. A mug is a simple gift that gets used every day. The Yeni Yılınız Kutlu Olsun mug and the Üç, İki, Bir, Mutlu Yıllar mug are easy to wrap and need no size. For a bigger cup, look at the Dışarıda Kar, İçeride Çay latte mug. More designs are in the mugs collection.
2. A coaster set and a tea towel. If the tea is already on the table, a set of four Dışarıda Kar, İçeride Çay coasters and a matching tea towel make a small kitchen gift for a host. The kitchen and dining collection has more.
For the cold walk outside
3. A tumbler. A tumbler goes with a person on the way to work or a winter walk. The Yeni Yılınız Kutlu Olsun insulated tumbler and the Dışarıda Kar, İçeride Çay insulated tumbler carry the wish with them. See all of them in tumblers and bottles.
4. A hoodie or a T-shirt. Üç, İki, Bir, Mutlu Yıllar on a heavy blend hoodie is a happy thing to wear on New Year's Eve, and the Yeni Yılınız Kutlu Olsun unisex T-shirt is an easy layer for the holiday table. Check the size guide on each product page. The hoodies and sweatshirts and T-shirts collections show every style.
5. Something for the youngest family member. The Üç, İki, Bir, Mutlu Yıllar design also comes as a baby bodysuit, a kids' T-shirt and a kids' puzzle. It can be a first New Year in a Turkish-speaking home, or a grandparent's gift for a grandchild abroad. See more in kids and baby.
For the tree and the wall
6. An ornament. A Yeni Yılınız Kutlu Olsun ceramic ornament or an Üç, İki, Bir, Mutlu Yıllar ornament can hang on a New Year tree or beside a window. Browse the ornaments and magnets too, since a magnet is a small gift for the fridge.
7. A poster. A square matte paper poster or a canvas print turns the line into wall art for the hall, the kitchen or a child's room. See more in posters and canvas prints.
For the evening at home
8. A throw blanket. The Dışarıda Kar, İçeride Çay throw blanket is made for the sofa and a pot of tea on a snowy evening. The blankets and throws collection has more choices.
9. A deck of cards. Card games are a familiar part of a Turkish family evening. The Üç, İki, Bir, Mutlu Yıllar playing cards are ready for a game after midnight. You can also look through puzzles and games.
What to write in the card
A New Year card does not need a long message. Here are four short lines you can borrow:
- Yeni yılınız kutlu olsun. May your new year be a happy one.
- Mutlu yıllar! Happy new year, or happy birthday.
- Bol muhabbetli bir yıl! A year full of good conversation!
- Sağlıklı, huzurlu bir yıl dilerim. I wish you a healthy, peaceful year.
Pick the one that sounds like you and sign it with your own name. The Yeni Yılınız Kutlu Olsun greeting cards, the Üç, İki, Bir, Mutlu Yıllar greeting cards and the Dışarıda Kar, İçeride Çay greeting cards each come in a pack of ten, so you can write one now and keep the rest for other days.
A short plan
- Pick a line from the three above: a wish, a countdown or a winter evening.
- Choose one idea that fits the person: the tea table, the road, the wardrobe, the wall or the sofa.
- Write a short line in a card and give the gift with a cup of tea and a few minutes of your time.
The time matters as much as the gift. To see how Turkish families welcome the new year, read Turkish New Year Traditions: How Families Celebrate Yılbaşı. For more ideas, read What Is a Traditional Turkish Gift? and What These Turkish Sayings Mean. You can see every design in the Turkish Culture Designs collection.